I haven’t been able to receive calls for 18 days since buying an iPhone 6 on contract with O2.
When I asked to port my old Vodafone number to O2 I was told the process would be complete in 24 hours. Nothing happened. I was initially told I’d provided the wrong security information, then given a series of conflicting dates for when the number would be up and running.
It turned out that although I could make calls and send texts with my Vodafone number showing up on the recipient’s screen, the only calls I could receive were from the O2 network.
I have made five visits to the O2 shop in Cheapside, London, and two to Vodafone, and have made 13 calls to both companies.
O2 says the issue was caused by Vodafone not releasing my number, while Vodafone denies any responsibility, saying everything has been configured correctly on its side – each company tells me to sort it out with the other.
I’ve been paying £53 a month for my O2 contract and my work has been affected because I haven’t been able to receive phone calls from the majority of my contacts. NL London
You waited another month until Vodafone, with media prompting, admitted culpability.
“This was a rare breakdown in our processes and shouldn’t have taken this long,” says a spokesperson. “We’re looking into the process to see what went wrong.”
Although Vodafone was to blame, O2 also failed you by passing the buck. Under European regulations, providers are obliged to port a number in one working day. If they fail, you are entitled to claim compensation from them, so you should make a claim under Vodafone’s official complaints procedure. If it refuses, take your complaint to Ofcom.
